Geo-Strategic Trend

A recent Le Monde report examines how China is leveraging foreign social media influencers to reshape its global image, with the southwestern megacity of Chongqing at the center of this highly organized effort.

Influencers flock to Chongqing for its visually striking backdrops — dangling from the 56th floor of a skyscraper for dramatic effect, or marveling at a monorail that passes directly through an apartment building. Their videos, filled with exclamations like “China is full of wonders,” flood TikTok and Instagram, reaching a generation that consumes information through short-form content rather than traditional media. For Gen Z audiences, Chongqing’s vertical cityscape and neon-lit nights offer a futuristic novelty that New York simply can no longer provide.

The timing works in China’s favor. America’s global image has taken hits from Capitol Hill riot footage, immigration enforcement controversies, and its stance on Gaza, eroding the moral authority Washington once claimed. Meanwhile, imagery of China’s massive bridges, train stations, and airports is gradually displacing older narratives around Wuhan’s wet market, Uyghur detentions, and Hong Kong crackdowns. A Prague-based China analyst notes that Western governments’ failure to prevent the situation in Gaza has weakened criticism of China while amplifying admiration for its development achievements.

A Politico survey of six European countries found that in four of them — Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Germany — the U.S. is now seen as a greater threat than China. A Pew Research poll meanwhile shows 27% of Americans now hold a favorable view of China, nearly double the figure from 2023.

Le Monde traces this influence campaign back to 2018, when Xi Jinping called for stronger international communication capacity. That same year, the first government-backed “International Communication Center” was established — in Chongqing.

Source: Radio France International, May 24, 2026
https://rfi.my/CjHb

German media outlets have been closely watching the Beijing summit between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, with several prominent newspapers offering pointed analyses of what the meeting reveals about the shifting global balance of power.

The Handelsblatt argues that China is positioning itself as the gravitational center of a new world order — a nation that Washington, Moscow, and many others now feel compelled to visit. While this narrative carries a propagandistic edge, the paper acknowledges a real underlying truth: Russia needs China more than ever. Moscow’s war economy depends heavily on energy export revenues, and China is buying those exports in large volumes. That Putin brought along the heads of Gazprom and Rosneft signals clearly what was at the top of his Beijing agenda — energy, financing, and the uncomfortable exposure of Russia’s wartime vulnerabilities.

The Volksstimme of Magdeburg sees Russia as a textbook example of a powerful but ultimately dependent state under China’s system of influence. China does rely on Russian oil and gas, but Russian dependence runs deeper: Chinese goods — from cars to refrigerators — have become indispensable to a country mired in a war of its own making.

The Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung notes that Xi Jinping has little incentive to distance himself from Russia, given Moscow’s value as both a geopolitical partner and energy supplier. Yet beneath the surface, the asymmetry is growing. Russia needs China far more than the reverse, and the much-touted “strategic partnership” is increasingly a one-sided arrangement.

Finally, the Süddeutsche Zeitung frames it most starkly: the missteps of Trump and Putin are becoming Xi’s opportunity. As both Washington and Moscow entangle themselves in costly conflicts, Beijing is quietly and unimpeded consolidating its dominance.

Source: Radio France International, May 20, 2026
https://rfi.my/Cift

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that, Mexico and the European Union just signed a trade agreement aimed at reducing tariffs on each other’s goods, with both sides hoping to reduce their dependence on trade with the United States. This agreement is an extension of the 2000 Mexico-EU trade agreement.

Mexican President Jacques Sinbaum emphasized that “exploring other areas” is crucial as both Mexico and the European Union face tariff offensives from U.S. President Donald Trump. The EU is Mexico’s third-largest trading partner, after the U.S. and China.

The new agreement eliminates most trade and investment barriers while promoting trade in auto parts. The auto parts industry is most affected by U.S. tariff policies. Mexico has agreed to recognize and protect the geographical signs of hundreds of food and beverage products originating from specific regions of the European Union, meaning these products are protected from counterfeiting. The new agreement also reduced tariffs on more products and granted tariff-free access to pasta, chocolate, potatoes, canned peaches, eggs, and certain poultry products.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, May 23, 2026
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/world/story20260523-9094830

China has proposed that Turkey make greater use of local currencies — the Turkish lira and the Chinese yuan — in bilateral trade, according to a report by Turkish newspaper Yeni Akit.

The proposal emerged during a joint conference titled “Connecting Markets, Creating Opportunities: Trade and Financial Cooperation,” co-organized by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and the Aegean Exporters’ Association of Turkey. Participants discussed the broader use of local currencies as an alternative to the US dollar in trade settlements, alongside topics such as expanding Turkey-China trade volumes, developing new areas of cooperation, and improving financing access for Turkish exporters.

Muhammet Öztürk, coordinator of the Aegean Exporters’ Association, noted that the organization represents more than 8,000 member companies from the agricultural and industrial sectors. He said Turkey’s total exports are expected to reach $18.5 billion by the end of 2025.

Öztürk also highlighted strong recent momentum in Turkey-China trade: Turkish exports to China grew 35 percent in the first four months of this year, reaching $1.2 billion, while exports from Aegean region companies rose 24 percent to $209 million over the same period.

The push to settle trade in local currencies reflects a broader trend among countries seeking to reduce reliance on the US dollar in international commerce. For Turkey, whose lira has faced prolonged depreciation pressure, the practical implications of such an arrangement remain to be seen, though the talks signal a deepening of economic ties between Ankara and Beijing.

Source: Sputnik News, May 15, 2026
https://sputniknews.cn/20260515/1071297374.html

Nepalese authorities are considering approving a Chinese humanoid robot, the Unitree G1, for a climb up Mount Everest, according to a report by the Kathmandu Post citing Nepal’s Tourism Department. If approved, the expedition could pave the way for using robots to clean up waste and monitor glacial conditions on the world’s highest peak.

The proposal comes from a collaboration between U.S. nonprofit Geologic Dome and Nepali company Fourteen Peaks Expedition, which have jointly applied for permission to deploy the Unitree G1 during the 2026 spring climbing season. The plan calls for a 52-day research expedition in the Everest region.

Himal Gautam, director of Nepal’s Tourism Department, confirmed that the proposal is under review. “After receiving the proposal, we consulted with the Ministry of Tourism,” he said. “The ministry has asked relevant departments to draft a framework covering risks, fee structures, and related matters. Permits will be issued once the main guidelines are established.”

The project’s broader goal is to explore whether humanoid robots can eventually assist with garbage removal on Everest, track glacial changes, and support operations in high-risk mountaineering scenarios. However, a significant hurdle remains: Nepal currently has no legal framework governing non-human climbers. As a result, even if a permit is eventually granted, the earliest the expedition could realistically proceed is the fall or winter of 2026.

No specific costs or fees were mentioned in the original report, so no currency conversion is needed this time.

Source: Sputnik News, May 17, 2026
https://sputniknews.cn/20260517/1071346016.html